Recommendations based on The Limpopo Academy of Private Detectionby Alexander McCall Smith

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    A lighthearted exploration of romance, tradition, and family ties in contemporary Botswana.

    Precious Ramotswe is taunted by a dream in which she is driving her old white van. She discovers that her van is fixed up and running well again, so she hopes to retrieve it. Charlie is accused of ... (Wikipedia)

  2. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    A humorous detective novel set in Botswana, exploring themes of community and justice.

    The latest installment of this universally beloved and best-selling series finds Precious Ramotswe in personal need of her own formidable detection talents . . . . Mma Ramotswe's ever-ready tiny ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Miracle at Speedy Motors

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    A story of a small-town mechanic's triumph over adversity, with the help of a wise old friend.

    Under the endless skies of Botswana, there is always something Mma Ramotswe can do to help someone and here she finds herself assisting a woman looking for her family. The problem is the woman ... (Goodreads)

  4. The Shoemaker's Wife

    by Adriana Trigiani
    Two Italian immigrants forge a love story amongst the struggles of making a life in America.

    The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, who meet as teenagers, despite growing up in ... (Goodreads)

  5. Lone Wolf

    by Jodi Picoult
    A family's journey to find redemption and reconnection in the aftermath of tragedy.

    Edward Warren has been living in Thailand for nearly 6 years, when he receives a frantic telephone call: His estranged family have been badly injured in a car accident in New Hampshire . Warren's ... (Wikipedia)

  6. The Secret Keeper

    by Kate Morton
    A woman unravels her family's past, uncovering secrets and lies that span generations.

    During a summer party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is happily dreaming of the future. She spies a ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Light Between Oceans

    by M.L. Stedman
    A lighthouse keeper and his wife make a heartbreaking decision that has lifelong repercussions.

    Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found, here, Australia, 1926. After four harrowing years fighting on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns home to take a job as the lighthouse ... (Goodreads)

  8. Letters from Skye

    by Jessica Brockmole
    A woman discovers her connections to a family living on a remote Scottish island.

    A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the ... (Goodreads)

  9. A Week in Winter

    by Maeve Binchy
    A tale of friendship, love, and unexpected connections in a small Irish village.

    Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where all the families know one another. When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs overlooking the ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Language of Flowers

    by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
    A young woman's journey of healing and redemption through the power of flowers.

    The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in ... (Goodreads)

  11. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

    by Lisa See
    Story of two women in 19th-century China, exploring the power of female friendship.

    In rural Hunan province called Puwei (nicknamed the Common Beauty Village), a county in China, Lily is destined to become a, laotong, pair with Snow Flower, a girl of the same age from Tongkou (the ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Pope Joan

    by Donna Woolfolk Cross
    A story of a female Pope's rise to power in a male-dominated world.

    Joan, the daughter of a priest and his Saxon wife, is born in 814 as the last of three children. When he discovers that Joan has learned to read, her father calls her “child of the devil” and blames ... (Wikipedia)

  13. A Light in the Window

    by Jan Karon
    A heartwarming tale of small-town life, love, and faith. Follow Father Tim as he navigates the ups and downs of his community.

    - Readers will enjoy a story from the popular series-packaged bestseller! - Includes new Reader's Guide for group discussion or personal reflection ... (Goodreads)

  14. Unseen Academicals

    by Terry Pratchett
    A chaotic yet charming story of a football match between wizards and a team of misfits.

    Discworld lives on in Unseen Academicals, the latest novel from Terry Pratchett. Delivering the trademark insight and humor readers the world over have come to expect from “the purely funniest ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Racketeer

    by John Grisham
    An imprisoned lawyer discovers a sinister plot, using his knowledge of the law to uncover the truth.

    Malcolm Bannister is an African American attorney in a small-town Virginia law firm. A real estate transaction which he undertook in good faith turns out to have involved the purchase of a secluded ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Tapestry of Fortunes

    by Elizabeth Berg
    Four women embark on a road trip to find themselves and their place in the world. Along the way, they discover the power of friendship and self-discovery.

    A wonderful new novel about four women who take a trip into their past, to find again the people they miss, and to reconnect with their fortunes. From the beloved bestselling author of Home Safe and ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Confession

    by John Grisham
    An innocent man is framed for murder and must fight to prove his innocence.

    #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER First time in paperback An innocent man is about to be executed.,Only a guilty man can save him. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, Travis Boyette abducted, ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Complete Anne of Green Gables 8-Book Box Set

    by L.M. Montgomery
    Follow the life of Anne Shirley, an imaginative and talkative orphan, as she grows up on Prince Edward Island.

    Favorites for nearly 100 years, these classic novels follow the adventures of the spirited redhead Anne Shirley, who comes to stay at Green Gables and wins the hearts of everyone she meets. Includes ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Beautiful Mystery

    by Louise Penny
    A priest and a nun join forces to solve a murder shrouded in secrets within a cloistered Quebec monastery.

    No outsiders are ever admitted to the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, hidden deep in the wilderness of Québec, where two dozen cloistered monks live in peace and prayer. Ironically, for a ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane

    by Lisa See
    A woman's search for identity in the face of cultural expectations and familial secrets.

    In their remote mountain village, Li-yan and her family align their lives around the seasons and the farming of tea. For the Akha people, ensconced in ritual and routine, life goes on as it has for ... (Goodreads)

  21. Beautiful Ruins

    by Jess Walter
    A romantic story of fate, secrets, and destiny, spanning from Italy in the 1960s to present day.

    "The best novel of the year." — Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air A #1 New York Times bestseller, this “absolute masterpiece” (Richard Russo) is the story of an almost-love affair that begins on the ... (Goodreads)

  22. Still Alice

    by Lisa Genova
    A woman's struggle to hold on to her identity in the face of a devastating diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

    Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman's sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer's disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph. D in neuroscience ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards

    by Lilian Jackson Braun
    A murder mystery solved by a crime-solving cat and his owner.

    Jim Qwilleran is attempting to get his life back on track, starting with a new job; his old acquaintance, Arch Riker, is taking a chance. Qwilleran became known as a journalist for covering crime, ... (Wikipedia)

  24. The Trouble with Goats and Sheep

    by Joanna Cannon
    A quirky coming-of-age story set in a 1970s English suburb, exploring religion and friendship.

    “I loved this book. It's one of those books that you just want to give to everybody.” —Nancy Pearl on NPR’s Morning Edition “An astute, engaging debut” ( Publishers Weekly ), The Trouble with Goats ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. Funny Girl

    by Nick Hornby
    A young woman's comedic journey to success, navigating the pitfalls of fame.

    Make them laugh, and they're yours forever . . . Barbara Parker is Miss Blackpool of 1964, but she doesn't want to be a beauty queen. She wants to make people laugh. So she leaves her hometown ... (Goodreads)

  26. Second Glance

    by Jodi Picoult
    A family mystery spanning generations, revealing secrets and restoring relationships.

    Second Glance follows the lives of several characters throughout the book. In Picoult's signature writing style, the novel flashes back and forth many decades to piece together the story. The novel ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Stay Close

    by Harlan Coben
    Thriller involving a family caught in a web of secrets and lies.

    Megan is a suburban soccer mom who once upon a time walked on the wild side. Now she’s got two kids, a perfect husband, a picket fence, and a growing sense of dissatisfaction. Ray used to be a ... (Goodreads)

  28. Moon Tiger

    by Penelope Lively
    A woman's life story unravels as she reflects on her past while coping with a terminal illness.

    Claudia Hampton, a 76-year-old English woman and a professional historian, is terminally ill and is spending her last remaining moments in and out of consciousness thinking of writing a history of ... (Wikipedia)

  29. A Killer's Mind

    by Mike Omer
    FBI agent investigates a serial killer who seems to know her every move. As she gets closer, she realizes the killer may be someone she knows.

    The, New York Times, and, Washington Post, bestselling serial-killer thriller that will leave you wondering, is the past really in the past?, Three Chicago women have been found strangled, embalmed, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  30. Lost Lake

    by Sarah Addison Allen
    A woman and her daughter visit a magical lake in Georgia, where they find healing, love, and a sense of belonging.

    A, New York Times, bestseller! "Tender and enchanting" —,Southern Seasons, "An endearing tale of surprising second chances." –, Booklist, (starred review) The first time Eby Pim saw Lost Lake, it was ... (Barnes & Noble)